21 August 2011

There is something in my nature that does not respond to television talent shows, but on occasions I can be so, so wrong. After the pestering of a friend and after it was all over I checked out the young 14 year old Jack Vidgen from Sydney on Youtube and what a surprise and a gift that boy's talent is. I may be behind several million who have already been looking at his videos, but if you are one of the uninitiated, here is a sample of his performances from his stunning audition through to the final brilliant song which he wrote himself at 14 and his winning of the competition. He is truly remarkable so spend some time on Youtube. As one of the judges proclaimed he has a black woman trapped inside, and he will be a great Diva.

An excited judge plants one on the surprised Jack after his first song.

He ranks up there with two other discoveries of the ubiquitous talent shows.

Adam Lambert whom I discovered while playing with my remote. I would not stop at America's Got Talent, but his voice grabbed me instantly and I was hooked.

Finally if there is anyone on this planet who did not see Susan Boyle or just want to be reminded what a thrill her first appearance was for the hundreds of millions who have watched this clip. It was the most uploaded clip in history and it still brings tears to my eyes.

I still don't watch these shows, but occasionally the fruits can be very impressive.BuskingThere are of course other ways to gain attention, but it needs luck to make it the big break. This woman below dressed simply, but with the voice of true magnificence was singing in the Queen St. mall here in Brisbane one day. I emptied my pockets into her cup. I wanted to return to ask if I could film her, but she had gone. This a a clip I found taken by someone else equally in awe of her voice. I would love to find her again.

Pepi and I want to share some cultural interests. Pepi is my fabulous singing dog. He takes his name from Pharaoh Pepi II who Ruled Egypt from the age of 6 to 100 around 2200 BCE. I began this blog to share with you the many and varied things I do, study or admire. I am gay and I suspect my dog may be as well, so the content here is what appeals to me and has a slant towards gay artists and history, but not exclusively. My previous sites attracted a couple of million visitors, hundreds of whom wrote to me. I hope you enjoy your visits. The content of this site is also illustrated with a lot of my photography and extracts from my writings. I do add to and revise old posts from time to time.